Tata Steel and Welspun Corp Develop Hydrogen-Compliant Steel Pipes

Tata Steel and Welspun Corp have partnered to produce hydrogen-compliant grade steel pipes for the safe transportation of gaseous hydrogen. The collaboration has led to the development of API X65 grade pipes, successfully tested for high-pressure hydrogen transport. This marks a significant step towards clean energy solutions and aligns with India's net-zero vision.

Tata Steel and Welspun Corp have jointly launched hydrogen-compliant grade steel pipes designed for the transportation of gaseous hydrogen, the companies announced on Friday.

The collaboration, which marks a significant milestone in clean energy solutions, resulted in the development of API X65 grade pipes. These pipes successfully passed all critical sour service and fracture qualification tests for transporting 100 percent pure gaseous hydrogen under high pressure at RINA, Italy, according to a statement by Tata Steel.

Tata Steel and Welspun Corp are now the pioneering Indian companies to manufacture electric resistance welded (ERW) pipes for hydrogen transportation. This initiative follows a 2022 memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the companies to develop hydrogen-compliant API-grade pipes via the ERW Pipe route.

As part of this partnership, Tata Steel supplied hot-rolled coils from its Kalinganagar plant in Odisha, while Welspun Corp handled the manufacturing of the ERW pipes. Prabhat Kumar, Vice President of Marketing & Sales (Flat Products) at Tata Steel, emphasized the project as a groundbreaking step in clean energy infrastructure, boosting the transition to green hydrogen.

Welspun Corp Managing Director and CEO Vipul Mathur highlighted that the initiative supports the Indian government's vision for a net-zero economy by 2070, promoting green hydrogen usage and contributing to a more sustainable future.

(With inputs from agencies.)